Filling needle

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a filling needle of a fluid-dispensing system, the filling needle including a needle portion that is a metallic material, a hub affixed to an end of the needle portion, wherein the hub is non-metallic and configured to securely associate with the fluid-dispensing system, and allow the fluid-dispensing system to be in fluid communication with the needle portion.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/903,178, filed Feb. 23, 2007, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The disclosure relates generally to a filling needle, and more particularly to a filling needle of a fluid dispensing system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Fluid dispensing systems typically include a reservoir, tubing, a pump or pumps, and filling needles. The reservoir contains a bulk supply of fluid for distribution to the other components of the system. Fluid is transported from the bulk supply to the pumps and/or needles via the tubing. The pumps then actuate dispensing of a desired amount of fluid into the filling needles, which in turn dispense the fluid into a desired container or onto a desired surface. These dispensing systems are often used in conjunction with containers that are moved into filling position (i.e. into proximity of the needles) via automated conveying devices. Automated conveyance of the containers or surfaces offers a quick and accurate means for dispensing fluid into multiple containers of a container batch.

Despite this quickness and accuracy, dispensing systems can be costly to maintain, particularly in that the filling needles must be sterilized after a batch of containers is filled and/or before a new fluid is to be dispensed. Cleaning and sterilization of needles requires cleaning and sterilization equipment, as well as space to store the cleaning and sterilization equipment, which both can be costly. Needle cleaning and sterilization also increases down time between batch fillings, which prolongs the time it takes to fill (and ultimately ship) batches of different fluids.

Furthermore, cleaning procedures must be developed and validated. These validation processes are time consuming and expensive. Cleaning and sterilization are also not failsafe. A company that relies on cleaning and sterilization of needles for re-use runs some risk of cross-contamination, associated health risks, litigation and adverse cost effects that can follow therefrom.

Normally system tubing is fixed to the hub portion of the needle via friction or mechanical fasteners. Manufacturing the hub from a plastic or rubber provides the ability to permanently attach the system supply tubing to the needle hub.

Accordingly, reduction or elimination of the costs and dangers associated with cleaning, cleaning validation and sterilization, as well as the costs associated with mechanical fasteners and adhesives, would be desirable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Disclosed is a filling needle of a fluid-dispensing system, the filling needle including a needle portion that is a metallic material, a hub affixed to an end of the needle portion, wherein the hub is non-metallic and configured to securely associate with the fluid-dispensing system, and allow the fluid-dispensing system to be in fluid communication with the needle portion.

Also disclosed is a fluid dispensing system including a reservoir configured to hold bulk fluid, tubing that is fluidly communicable with the reservoir, and at least one filling needle, each of the at least one filling needles including a needle portion that is a metallic material and a hub affixed to an end of the needle portion, wherein the hub is non-metallic and configured to securely associate with the tubing, and allow the tubing to be in fluid communication with the needle portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way. With reference to the accompanying drawings, like elements are numbered alike:

FIG. 1 is a planar view of an embodiment of a filling needle;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of dispensing end of the filling needle;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of receiving end of the filling needle;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a fluid dispensing system;

FIG. 5 is a planar view of a second embodiment of a filling needle;

FIG. 5 a is a planar view of at least a portion of a hub of the second embodiment of a filling needle shown inn FIG. 5;

FIG. 6 is a planar view of a third embodiment of a filling needle;

FIG. 7 is a planar view of a fourth embodiment of a filling needle;

FIG. 8 is a planar view of a fifth embodiment of a filling needle;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, a filling needle 10 of a fluid-dispensing system 11 is illustrated and includes a needle portion 12 and a hub 14 affixed to the needle portion 12. The needle portion 12 entirely comprises a metallic material such as stainless steel. The hub 14 comprises a non-metallic material such as plastic or rubber. In an exemplary embodiment, the hub 12 comprises a medical grade polymer.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3 in particular, the needle portion 12 is an elongated cylindrical tube that defines a fluid cavity 16, and includes a dispensing end 18 and receiving end 20. The fluid cavity 16 of the needle portion 12 terminates at a dispensing opening 22 of the dispensing end 18, and at a receiving opening 24 of the receiving end 20. The receiving end 20 is the end of the needle portion 12 at which the hub 14 is affixed.

The hub 14 also defines a cavity, referred to hereinafter as the hub cavity 26. The hub cavity 26 is configured to contain the receiving end 20 of the needle portion 12. The receiving end 20 of the needle portion 12 is secured within the hub cavity 26 via any desirable means, such as adhesive, acrylic, injection molding, press fit or shrink fit. As is shown best in FIG. 1, the hub 14 fixedly contains a portion of the needle 12. Beginning from a terminal point of the receiving end 20, containment by the hub 14 extends a fraction of a length of the needle 12 in a direction of the dispensing end 18.

As is best shown in FIG. 1, the hub 14 further includes an associating portion 28. Referring to FIG. 4, this associating portion 28 is configured to securely associate the hub 14, and needle portion 12 to which it is secured, to tubing 30 of the fluid dispensing system 11. Due to the properties of the plastic or rubber that comprise the hub 14, this tubing 30 (of which there are multiple individual tubes) is fixedly and securely associable with the hub 14 via a frictional fit 32. When the hub 14 is securely associated with tubing 30, as shown in FIG. 4, the needle portion 12 is in fluid communication with the tubing 30 via the receiving opening 24 and fluid cavity 16.

With the needle portion 12 in fluid communication with the tubing 30 via the frictional fit 32 with the hub 14, fluid may be transported to the needle portion 12 from a bulk supply of fluid held in a reservoir 34 of the system 11. The fluid may be transported via a pump, which may be disposed with any or all of the reservoir 34, tubing 30, or filling needle 10. In some embodiments of the system 11, the pump is responsible for dispensing a desired amount of fluid into the needle portion 12, which in turn dispenses the desired amount of fluid out of the dispensing opening 22, and into a desired container (such as containers 36 of FIG. 4) or onto a desired surface. It should be appreciated that the pump may be any desirable means/device for actuating transportation of the desired quantity of fluid. The pump may be any type of known pump that is either automated or manual. The pump may also be a pressurized reservoir containing a bulk supply of fluid, wherein the pressurized reservoir includes a valve that opens and closes very accurately to measure and release the desired quantity of fluid. This type of “pump” is known as a time/pressure system. A time/gravity system may also be used, in which a reservoir is placed relatively above the filling needles 10, and a valve is opened at desired intervals to take advantage of gravity.

As shown in FIG. 4, it should be appreciated that the system 11 may incorporate multiple filling needles 10 that are moveable into dispensing position with containers 36 that are being transported along a conveying device. With this movement into dispensing position, via any type of manual or automated actuator, the system 11 may fill multiple groups of multiple containers as the containers 36 are transported along the conveying device.

After a batch (a desired number of containers 32) of containers 32 is filled with a desired fluid, the filling needles 10 may be disposed of due to their non-metallic hub 14, and the relative inexpensiveness of the filling needle 10 including this hub 14 as compared an all metal filling needle (i.e. hub and needle being metal) and cleaning and sterilization. As the needles 10 may be disposed of, cleaning and sterilization is unnecessary. In addition, the tubing 30 and hubs 14 may be permanently affixed via unitary construction, polymer welding, or gamma ray/electron processes. If unitary construction is employed, the tubing 30 and hubs 14 may comprise the same plastic or rubber material. Permanent affixing allows the time it takes to remove and replace filling needles 10 to also be efficiently (and cost effectively) limited. This is due to the ability of the non-metallic hub 14 and tubing 30 to be quickly removed from the system 11, and a new filling needle 10 with permanently attached tubing 30 to be quickly installed.

Referring to FIGS. 5-8, the needle portions 12 and hub 14 of the filling needle 10 may include any configuration, size, shape, or fluid capacity that is known or conceivable in the art.

While the embodiments of the disclosed method and apparatus have been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the embodiments of the disclosed method and apparatus. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the embodiments of the disclosed method and apparatus without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the embodiments of the disclosed method and apparatus not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out the embodiments of the disclosed method and apparatus, but that the embodiments of the disclosed method and apparatus will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims. 

1. A filling needle of a fluid-dispensing system, the filling needle comprising; a needle portion that is a metallic material; and a hub affixed to an end of said needle portion, wherein said hub is non-metallic and configured to securely associate with the fluid-dispensing system, and allow the fluid-dispensing system to be in fluid communication with said needle portion.
 2. The filling needle of claim 1, wherein said hub is configured to securely associate with a tubing of the fluid-dispensing system via a frictional fit.
 3. The filling needle of claim 1, wherein said hub is a plastic material.
 4. The filling needle of claim 3, wherein said plastic material of said hub is a medical grade polymer, and said metal material of said needle portion is stainless steel.
 5. The filling needle of claim 1, wherein said hub is a rubber material.
 6. A fluid dispensing system comprising: a reservoir configured to hold bulk fluid; tubing that is fluidly communicable with said reservoir; and at least one filling needle, each of said at least one filling needles including a needle portion that is a metallic material and a hub affixed to an end of said needle portion, wherein said hub is non-metallic and configured to securely associate with said tubing, and allow said tubing to be in fluid communication with said needle portion.
 7. The system of claim 6, further including at least one pump disposed with at least one of said reservoir, said tubing, and said at least one filling needle, wherein said at least one pump is configured to pump a desirable amount of fluid into and from said filling needle.
 8. The system of claim 6, wherein said hub is permanently affixed to said tubing, said tubing being configured for detachability from said reservoir.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein said tubing is of unitary construction with said hub, and wherein said tubing is the same non-metallic material as said hub.
 10. The filling needle of claim 6, wherein said hub is a plastic material.
 11. The filling needle of claim 10, wherein said plastic material of said hub is a medical grade polymer, and said metal material of said needle portion is stainless steel.
 12. The filling needle of claim 6, wherein said hub is a rubber material.
 13. The filling needle of claim 8, wherein said tubing is permanently affixed to said hub via at least one of polymer welding, electron processes, and gamma ray processes. 